System and method for operating a digital storage system

Abstract

A system and method for managing a storage system may include generating, for a data block, a set of tags and a unique name. A set of tags may represent a context. A service related to the data block may be provided in response to receiving at least one of: a tag, a set of tags and a unique name.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method of managing a storage system, the method comprising:
 generating, for a single data block, a unique name and a plurality of different sets of tags associated with a plurality of different respective applications; 
 associating the plurality of different sets of tags and the unique name for the single data block in a database; 
 translating a request including at least one tag from any of the plurality of the different sets of tags associated with any of the plurality of different respective applications to the unique name generated for the single data block; 
 storing or retrieving the single data block based on the received at least one tag from any of the plurality of the different sets of tags and the unique name for the single data block in the database, 
 thereby providing native interfaces to the plurality of different respective applications. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  comprising translating requests identifying the single data block from any of the plurality of sets of tags using any respective protocol to the unique name of the single data block. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  comprising generating a first and second sets of the plurality of sets of tags for a first and second respective native interfaces for a first and second respective applications. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first set of tags identifies the single data block by a block volume tag and an offset tag and a second set of tags identifies the single data block by a file tag and a data chunk tag. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sets of tags identifies the single data block using the plurality of different respective protocols selected from the group consisting of: keys, unique object identifiers (IDs), volume IDs and offsets, and file names. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  comprising dynamically modifying the plurality of sets of tags by adding a new set of tags to the plurality of sets of tags generated for the single data block. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  comprising dynamically modifying the plurality of sets of tags by removing a set of tags from the plurality of sets of tags generated for the single data block. 
     
     
       8. A system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 one or more processors configured to:
 generate, for a single data block, a unique name and a plurality of different sets of tags associated with a plurality of different respective applications, 
 associate the plurality of different sets of tags and the unique name for the single data block in a database, 
 translate a request including at least one tag from any of the plurality of the different sets of tags associated with any of the plurality of different respective applications to the unique name generated for the single data block, and 
 store or retrieve the single data block based on the received at least one tag from any of the plurality of the different sets of tags, and the unique name for the single data block in the database, 
 thereby providing native interfaces to the plurality of different respective applications. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to translate requests identifying the single data block from any of the plurality of sets of tags using any respective protocol to the unique name of the single data block. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate a first and second sets of the plurality of sets of tags for a first and second respective native interfaces for a first and second respective applications. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first set of tags identifies the single data block by a block volume tag and an offset tag and a second set of tags identifies the single data block by a file tag and a data chunk tag. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sets of tags identifies the single data block using the plurality of different respective protocols selected from the group consisting of: keys, unique object identifiers (IDs), volume IDs and offsets, and file names. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to dynamically modify the plurality of sets of tags by adding a new set of tags to the plurality of sets of tags generated for the single data block. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to dynamically modify the plurality of sets of tags by removing a set of tags from the plurality of sets of tags generated for the single data block. 
     
     
       15. A computer non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed cause one or more processors to:
 generate, for a single data block, a unique name and a plurality of different sets of tags associated with a plurality of different respective applications; 
 associate the plurality of different sets of tags and the unique name for the single data block in a database; 
 translate a request including at least one tag from any of the plurality of the different sets of tags associated with any of the plurality of different respective applications to the unique name generated for the single data block; and 
 store or retrieve the single data block based on the received at least one tag from any of the plurality of the different sets of tags and the unique name for the single data block in the database, 
 thereby providing native interfaces to the plurality of different respective applications. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer non-transitory storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions stored thereon when executed cause the one or more processors to translate requests identifying the single data block from any of the plurality of sets of tags using any respective protocol to the unique name of the single data block. 
     
     
       17. The computer non-transitory storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions stored thereon when executed cause the one or more processors to generate a first and second sets of the plurality of sets of tags for a first and second respective native interfaces for a first and second respective applications. 
     
     
       18. The computer non-transitory storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first set of tags identifies the single data block by a block volume tag and an offset tag and a second set of tags identifies the single data block by a file tag and a data chunk tag. 
     
     
       19. The computer non-transitory storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sets of tags identifies the single data block using the plurality of different respective protocols selected from the group consisting of: keys, unique object identifiers (IDs), volume IDs and offsets, and file names. 
     
     
       20. The computer non-transitory storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions stored thereon when executed cause the one or more processors to dynamically modify the plurality of sets of tags by adding a new set of tags to, or removing a set of tags from, the plurality of sets of tags generated for the single data block.